Judging Process
Each finalist will receive a mention at the Awards. There will be one winner for each award category announced at the awards ceremony. Judges may make a Highly Commended award at their discretion. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Benchmarking ProcessNews on the Block contacted stakeholders in the industry and asked them who they would expect to see (or not see!) shortlisted in the various categories for this year’s awards. The companies contacted participated on the basis of confidentiality, and came from a variety of disciplines: managing agents, barristers, solicitors, valuers, freeholders, leaseholders etc. This exercise helped inform the independent judging panel and protect the integrity of the awards.

Independent Judging Panel
Georgiana Hibberd is the Associate Director, RICS residential faculty Georgiana Hibberd qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1986. Her role includes advising RICS members and members of the public on residential issues and the production of practice notes and guidance. In her current role one area of responsibility is the production of guidance to members on residential block management issues.

Ian Fletcher is Director of Real Estate for the British Property Federation (BPF), where he oversees the BPF’s work on planning, regeneration and sustainability, as well as managing the commercial and residential portfolio.

Bob Smytherman has been a committee member of the FPRA for over five years and become Chairman during 2008. Bob has had a number of leasehold issues featured in the media including an appearance on BBC Watchdog and most recently the new series of ‘Rip off Britain’ on BBC1. In addition to the FPRA, Bob is a Worthing Borough & West Sussex County Councillor and served as the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning and Economic Development during 2003/4. Bob also represents the interests of leaseholders on the DCLG ‘Task & Finish’ group looking into regulation of managing agents.